Black Shadow Rising
by Sixth Tempest
Summary: After Sasuke encounters mysterious shinobi in Konoha's territory, top Jounin are mobilized to eliminate them. But why have they come? Are they merely trying to demonstrate their power on Konoha? Or do they have some greater purpose? R
1. Peace Never Lasts

**Chapter 1**

**Peace Never Lasts**

"We're approaching the target point, Captain Ryaki. I'm not detecting any large entities anywhere within my chakra field." The woman at the head of the five member ANBU squad announced to the man slightly behind her to the left.

"Understood. But that's no reason to drop our guard. Be prepared for anything." The Captain replied from behind his mask resembling the face of a tortoise.

"Of course not, sir." Was her only response before the group fell silent again and they continued on towards their destination.

A few minutes passed before the ANBU arrived at the scene of what had clearly been an impressive battle. The ground was marked by small craters, a massive tree had been uprooted, and most interestingly a good deal of the area was covered in ice despite it being mid-summer. Amidst the destruction lay three bodies. Two men and a woman all wearing shinobi headbands bearing the symbol of Konoha.

"Dammit. What the hell happened here?" Captain Ryaki muttered as he approached the body of one of the men.

He reached down and took a small coin from the man's hand. The coin was actually a well disguised transmitter used to call for emergency backup from any Konoha shinobi in range. It had only been developed a year ago and had already saved countless lives. One of the village's brightest had come up with it. Nara something or other...Ryaki could never remember the man's full name even though he'd met him once or twice.

The kunoichi that had been in the lead of the team checked each of the fallen shinobi in turn, shaking her head solemnly as she pronounced each one dead. Another member performed a rapid series of hand seals and his right hand burst into flame. He then placed his palm against a patch of the unseasonable ice. It refused to melt. "What kind of ice can't be destroyed by a fire element technique?" Ryaki questioned as he watched.

After a moment the flame user allowed his ignited hand to die out and turned to the Captain. "I encountered something like this several years ago, back when I was still a Genin. There was a boy with a bloodline limit allowing him to create nearly indestructable ice. But my master killed him. I haven't seen anything like it since. Until now anyway." The man responded.

Before the Captain could do any more than nod his understanding the kunoichi's eyes widened behind her hawk mask, feeling large creatures appear from nowhere in her energy field all around them. She was about to yell a warning when a hand shot out of the ice on a tree behind her, the kunai it held piercing her back. Not even an ANBU was immune to a surprise attack from behind when they think their back is defended. She was dead before she hit the ground.

"Miyako!" One of the other shinobi cried out as she went down, but didn't have the time to make a move before they were surrounded by fifteen enemy shinobi rising from the ice.

Chaos erupted almost instantly as blades clashed and ninjutsu flew through the air. One of the attackers lunged at the man who had lit his hand ablaze moments before aiming to pierce his back with a katana, but was stopped as the man spun around with a kunai in hand and blocked it almost effortlessly. The man's mask has the appearance of a wolf, but that's what got his attackers full attention. It was the blood red eyes peering out at him from behind it. "Sharingan..." The man uttered, suddenly seeming short of breath.

The Sharingan user took the opportunity to draw the ninjato from his back and decapitate his opponent with one clean swing. A few more hand seals and a large spiked ring made of flame formed in front of him. He grabbed hold of it, apparently not feeling the heat, and threw it at another of the ambushers. It hit them in the side and cut them in half then curved in midair and took out another target.

As it approached a third, the kunoichi it was targetting raised her hand up and a wall of ice formed to defend her. The flame struck it and disipated instantly. But it wasn't enough to slow the Sharingan wielder down. He was on the other side of her in the blink of an eye thrusting his ninjato forward. She shifted her attention towards him just in time to form a thin blade of ice and deflect it before it pierced her throat. With a quick jump backwards she put some distance between the two of them. "So you're the one responsible for the ice. Are you the leader of this squad?" The ANBU questioned.

The woman was young with shoulder length hair that was pure white. Somehow her blue eyes were almost as intimidating as the Sharingan when she smirked at him. He also noticed her headband for the first time. The symbol on it depicted two katana clashing. He'd never seen one like it before. "That's right. I am." She said in a taunting tone.

A moment later a large needle shot from the ice covering the ground towards the ANBU's head. Noticing it out of the corner of his eye he pulled backwards but wasn't fast enough to prevent it from knocking his mask from his face and drawing a red line on his chin. "Last I heard there were only two Sharingan users left and since you're clearly not the Hokage...you're Uchiha Sasuke, right?"

Sasuke didn't say anything, but the woman was right. After the defeat of Akatsuki four years ago he had been allowed to rejoin Konoha, having redeemed himself by killing Orochimaru and aiding them in the final battles after the death of his brother. Now he was nineteen and well on his way to becoming an ANBU Captain.

He hadn't changed all that much physical in the past four years aside from being a bit taller. However, he had developed the obvious creases underneath his eyes that had been fairly common in the men in his family. His hair was a bit shorter now too since it got in the way of his ANBU mask when he didn't keep it cut. But other than that he was still the same Sasuke.

Suddenly he noticed that the sounds of battle around him had stopped. A quick glance around revealed that he was the only one still standing. The other three members were clearly dead and Captain Ryaki was unconscious at best. Judging by the blood he didn't look like he'd be lasting much longer either though. On the other side, seven including the ice woman were still in fighting condition. The odds were definitely stacked against him.

"I see you've finally noticed. You should surrender cooperatively, Uchiha. I know some people who would love to take a closer look at those eyes of yours..." The woman commented to break the silence.

"Chidori!" He cried out as a ball of lightning formed around his left hand and he charged towards the woman.

Before reaching her though he lunged forward and thrust his arm into the ground at his feet. Dust and dirt flew into the air as he forced the chidori to explode, blinding everyone present. When their vision clear Sasuke and Ryaki were both gone. The kunoichi looked startled for a moment before her expression quickly switched to anger. "Spread out and find him before he gets anywhere! We won't get a golden opportunity like this again!" She shouted.

The rest of the shinobi obeyed instantly and took off in different directions to try and track him down.

* * *

Minutes later, one of the enemy shinobi passed by within twenty feet of Sasuke and Ryaki. Any closer and he might have noticed the genjutsu that concealed them and been able to dispell it. Granted, Sasuke knew that he could have easily killed him one on one but then he would have had to change positions again and another move might be more than the Captain could handle. He was seriously injured and there was no chance of getting him all the way to Konoha alive. They'd have to hold out there for a while.

With a few handseals a tiny snake appeared in front of Sasuke in a small cloud of white smoke. He knelt down and whispered instructions to it. It understood and began to slither away at top speed. A speed much greater than that of any normal snake. He hoped that none of the enemies would notice that if they happened to spot it. There was nothing to do now but wait.

* * *

Hatake Kakashi glanced up from behind the pages of his book and sighed as the door flew open and Uzumaki Naruto stormed into the room. No doubt he had something new to complain about. After all there was rarely a time when he didn't. With his headband over his Sharingan and his black mask covering the majority of his face, Kakashi still looked exactly the same even after several years. The only thing that had actually changed about him at all was his rank. He was the sixth Hokage.

After Tsunade died defending Konoha from Pain's final attempt to capture the Kyuubi he had reluctantly stepped up at the request of Konoha's council. The position hadn't turned out to be that bad though. Since the end of Akatsuki there had been peace between the shinobi villages. It was like everyone had decided to take a breather after those battles.

Naruto would now be capable of convincing people he was the fourth Hokage had the Hokage still been alive. He looked almost exactly like his deceased father. He had finally traded in his obnoxiously bright orange clothes for colors more fitting for a shinobi. Today his chosen outfit was a mix of black and dark brown. Over his clothes he wore his seventh Jounin vest. At least that's what number Kakashi was pretty sure he was on. Naruto had an amazing talent for misplacing them.

"What is it, Naruto?" Kakashi asked him before the blond could say anything.

"I'm bored out of my mind! Will you please give me a mission!? I'll take anything...I havn't left the village in three weeks." Naruto responded in a tone that was both annoyed and annoying to anyone who heard it.

The Hokage sighed again. "There's nothing I can do about that. There are no missions for somone at your level right now. Everything is better suited for Genin and low level Chuunin. You should be happy that we're in a time where the world is more peaceful than it's been in years rather than complaining that you have nothing to do."

As usual Kakashi was right and Naruto knew it...but knowing when to quit had never been one of his strong points. "What about Sasuke? He's on a mission right now, isn't he?"

"Sasuke is ANBU. It's a different situation. And before you complain it's not like he's doing something exciting. His squad is on border patrol, that's all."

"Better than nothing. I wish I was ANBU..." Naruto mumbled.

"If you hadn't gotten yourself disqualified from the last exam you probably would be. It's your own fault." Kakashi said with a shrug.

Instead of responding Naruto just made his pouting face. That was still a touchy subject. Finally he mumbled "I'll get it next time. Just wait and see."

While Naruto was still moping Kakashi spotted a small blue snake entering the room through the window out of the corner of his eye. As it made it's way across the floor and up the leg of the desk Naruto noticed it as well and recognized it instantly as one of Sasuke's summons. Once it was on the desk it turned to face the Hokage and began to hiss. Kakashi grabbed a pen immediately and began deciphering the code. "What is it? Let me guess! Sasuke screwed up and needs me to help him right?" Naruto sounded hopeful, but at the same time was clearly joking.

When Kakashi looked up at him and said solemnly "Naruto. I have a mission for you." he nearly choked on his own spit in surprise.

He was about to do celebrate when Kakashi held out the paper he'd written the message on for Naruto to read. His expression turned dark as well as he read it.

_Pinned down by enemy shinobi. Village unknown. _

_Captain Ryaki heavily injured. Require immediate medical attention._

_Rest of ANBU Squad 19 annihilated. Requesting reinforcements ASAP._

_Recommend two full Jounin squads._


	2. Awaken the Curse

**Chapter 2**

**Awaken the Curse**

It was starting to rain. Still only a light drizzle, but enough to annoy Sasuke as he sat on a rock waiting for his backup. Ryaki, who lay on the ground in front of him taking shallow breaths, prevented him from attempting to find any better shelter. At the speed his snake had been moving he figured it had to be in Konoha by now if none of his pursuers had intercepted it. As he sat there in the rain he suddenly felt some invisible force wash over him, almost seeming to pass straight through him. He recognized that feeling instantly.

"Dammit..." He muttered as he reached behind his back and drew his ninjato, scanning the area carefully.

There was no doubt that had been a tracking technique he'd learned during his time in Hidden Sound. It was similar to sonar and used to search a large area to pinpoint an enemy's location. He'd assumed it was one of many abilities that had died out with the village. Apparently he'd been wrong.

He spun around just in time to deflect a shuriken with his blade. It lodged itself into a tree instead of his back and the wood surrounding the spot it pierced visibly darkened. An extremely fast acting poison...he knew he'd already be down if that had hit him. Glancing up into a tree he spotted three of the shinobi crouched down on a branch looking down at him. "Only three? Shouldn't you have gone for the rest of your friends?" He asked them with a smirk.

"Don't act tough. It's the end of the line, Uchiha." The man in the middle said, anger clear in his voice.

"Sorry, but it isn't an act." He taunted back.

The man who spoke scowled at him and lunged forward drawing a kunai that was clearly soaked in poison. The other two followed his lead and jumped down after him. Sasuke held his sword out to the side and allowed electricity to course through it. "I see...so you want to die first."

* * *

Naruto ran through the hall of the Konoha Hospital like a madman, knocking over a couple nurses and earning angry yells from one of the medical shinobi he passed. This was the fastest way to find the person he was currently searching for. Burst into the hospital, run around like a maniac, cause as much noise and confusion as possible, and before long...

"Dumbass! How many times do I have to tell you to stay out of here!?" Was the last thing he heard before her fist collided with the side of his face.

He landed hard on his back looking up at a furious Haruno Sakura. These days she was known for being one of the most skilled medics the village had to offer but it was also fairly well known that her strength wasn't something to take lightly. Since she spent the majority of her time working in the hospital and not in the field she had grown her hair out again and it was now down to her waist. Her red outfit was still the same as ever aside from the fact that the current version was larger than the old one she'd outgrown. He could tell she was about to yell some more when he blurted out the message he'd come to deliver. "Sasuke's team got wiped out! Kakashi-sensei wants us to go help him!" He held out a copy of the decoded message from their old teammate.

Sakura's angry expression turned to a shocked and worried one at this news. It took her an instant to forget that she'd even been mad at him. "We need to leave immediately. Sasuke said two teams, shouldn't there be more here?"

"You're the first person I thought to come to...Kakashi-sensei's forming a second team but wanted me to form the first and go on ahead." He shrugged.

"Alright, we'll split up and each find someone then meet at the gate in ten minutes!" Sakura was panicking much more than Naruto was. Though she wasn't as obvious about it as she used to be she still clearly had a thing for Sasuke.

Naruto was about to tell her to calm down and argue against that idea when a deep, totally passive voice from the room they were standing outside cut him off. "I couldn't help but overhear. If Sasuke-kun is in trouble I'm coming with you."

They both looked to see a man a few years older than either of them step out of the room. It was Juugo, a former prisoner of Orochimaru who had followed Sasuke to Konoha when he finally returned. Naruto didn't know him very well but Sakura saw him every couple days. When he had first come to the village his violent split personality had been a big problem, but with medication they had managed to get it under control. Now he was an official Jounin of Konoha.

Regardless of that though there was no question about whether he'd be accepted into this group. They didn't have time to waste nitpicking about who they took with them. "Alright, you're in." Naruto told him with a nod.

Juugo nodded back and Naruto started walking down the hall towards the exit. "Just need to find one more person and we're outta here! Let's move!"

* * *

Sasuke easily blocked the man's poison kunai with his ninjato. The electricity travelled through the enemy's weapon and shocked him, but he dropped the blade before any real damage could be done. One of his two allies landed on the ground beside him while the other just continued down into the earth without breaking the surface. _Using Doton when he knows I specialize in Raiton...? Is he an idiot? _Sasuke couldn't help but wonder.

The man who had landed on the ground formed a few handseals, but thanks to the Sharingan the Uchiha recognized the jutsu before he'd even finished and leapt into the branches of a tree to avoid the stream of flame the man spit towards him. As he landed a large stone lance fired up from the ground straight at him. Reacting instantly he formed a chidori around his left hand, not bothering with the seals, and lunged towards it. The lightning cut through it like it was nothing and continued down, slamming his chidori covered palm into the ground.

Once again thanks to his Sharingan he was able to see the man's exact position underground. A blade of lightning extended out of the chidori digging into the earth and piercing his opponent through the chest before he ever even knew it was coming. _One down. Two to go. _He thought as he turned and deflected a poisoned shuriken as his chidori faded away.

One of the men, the one who had used the Katon, charged forward at him and Sasuke immediately knew it was a clone. A single forward stab destroyed it, but not in the way he had expected. The clone burst into flames and knocked him backwards, relatively unhurt but slightly singed. He got back to his feet and brushed himself off calmly. "A fire clone? That's a trick I haven't seen before." He commented with a smirk.

"I bet we know a lot of tricks that you haven't seen before, Uchiha. Here's another example." He heard from somewhere behind him.

Turning he spotted the fire user's real body finishing the last two seals of a jutsu. He pointed straight up into the air and fired off a jet of flame that cleared the trees and exploded, brightly illuminating the area. A look of surprise appeared on Sasuke's face. It hadn't been an attack. It was a signal. Things had just gotten a bit more complicated. Taking advantage of his opponent's surprise the man formed a blade of fire and lunged, stabbing Sasuke clear through the chest.

The tip of the blade burst out his back and he coughed up blood as both men started laughing. "I'd heard the survivor of the Uchiha clan was a great shinobi. This is disappointing!" The poison man joked.

As the flaming sword was withdrawn Sasuke collapsed to the ground and lay motionless. "Hey...you didn't kill him did you? Hitomi's gonna be pissed if you killed him." The poison user said, no longer laughing.

"I meant to miss his vital points...dammit! I overdid i-" He stopped mid-sentence as the electrified ninjato stabbed through his stomach from behind.

He shook violently for a moment as he was electrocuted, then collapsed to the ground dead. Sasuke stood just behind him pointing his blade at the final opponent. "And then there was one." He said solemnly.

The man looked at the fallen Sasuke and it became trasnparent, then vanished entirely. "Genjutsu..." He said quietly as realization dawned on him.

Almost immediately Sasuke was coming at him for the final blow.

* * *

Nobody particularly liked the idea, but it was the first name who came to mind who they knew wasn't busy. Naruto stood outside the door of Sai's apartment and knocked. After a minute the man, still wearing his annoyingly fake smile, opened it and stared at them for a moment before speaking. "Visitors. This is a new one." He said in a tone of fake amusement.

Even though they'd been on several missions together during the war against Akatsuki neither of them had ever really become fond of Sai. In fact this was maybe the third time they'd spoken to him at all since that war had ended. The man looked _exactly _the same as he did before, as if he hadn't even aged. Not wanting to deal with small talk with him Naruto got right to business. "We need your help on a mission. Sasuke's ANBU team is in trouble."

"And I care...why?" Sai responded.

Sakura pushed her way past Naruto before he could say anything and formed fists. "Look you little bastard! This is serious and we don't have time to argue about it! Either say you're coming or don't and we'll find somebody else, but don't waste our time right now!" She practically screamed in his face.

Naruto stood there in stunned silence while Juugo remained as quiet as he'd always been to begin with, not really showing any reaction. Sai took a step back with an even bigger smile than before on his face and raised his hands up in a defeated gesture. "Alright, alright. I get the point. Let me get my stuff."

Five minutes later the four of them were moving quickly through Konoha on their way to the gate. The team had been formed and the mission was ready to begin.

* * *

As Sasuke moved forward the man raised his arm and fired a small needle from a device strapped to his wrist. There was hardly any time to react, but Sasuke managed to prevent it from hitting it directly over his heart and was instead hit in the right arm with a sharp jump to the left. He felt his arm go limp almost instantly. It hung useless at his side. _I have to end this now. Before he can do any more damage!_

He raised his sword in his left hand to strike when he suddenly realized he was surrounded. Every last one of the enemy shinobi had finally caught up with him. The woman who was apparently the leader, Hitomi he thought he heard the man refer to her as, stepped forward smiling at him. "Well, well...looks like we've cornered the little Uchiha."

Closing his eyes he sighed heavily. "No other choice..." He muttered to himself, trying to reassure himself that it was true.

"Hm? Did you say something?" Hitomi asked him in a very friendly tone.

He opened his eyes again and focused his chakra into the curse seal. Markings began to spread across his body as he felt huge amounts of chakra flood through his body. "Yeah. I said that you're all going to regret cornering this little Uchiha."


End file.
